Monthly charges for telephone service in the United States is frequently calculated according to the number of calls which are made by the user. This type of service can result in a savings to the consumer so long as the number of calls allowed is not greatly exceeded. For this reason, there is a need for a simple device which allows the user to keep track of the number of calls which have been made during a specific counting period and to let the user know how many more calls can be made.
Prior art devices have been proposed for counting the number of calls made by user which are located on the handset of the telephone. These devices having included drum or disc dials which can be advanced by the user when making a call. A drawback of devices of this type is that the user must separately act to change the dials in addition to performing the acts necessary to make a call.
There has also been disclosed in the prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 1,243,610 (JONES) a counter which is actuated by the rotational movement of a pipe on a sewer flush tank. This counter includes a ball which moves along a sinuous path of travel as the counter is oscillated each time.
Although the prior art has disclosed counters for telephones and counters in general, a counter has not been disclosed which is selectively actuated by the user during simple use of the phone.